The Little Mermaid Of Storybrooke
by rocketstar
Summary: Regina's curse didn't just affect the whole of the land but also under the land too specifically under the water, where Oona the little mermaid princess and youngest of King Triton desperately wanted her own story and it's own happy ending.
1. Chapter 1

Princess Oona loved being a mermaid. She loved spending her days swimming in the vast waters of her father's underwater kingdom Atlantica, exploring every nock and cranny, collecting all sorts of treasures and trinkets that had been discarded into the waters. Playing with her friends and sisters. But after a hundred years it started to get boring, the call of the sea was overwhelming and Oona loved it, however she wanted more. Specifically she wanted to see what was up there in the other world, the land of the walkers. Oona had been up to the surface many occasions but she was never to be allowed to walk on it given that her long silver tail prohibited that from happening. "Oona! Pay attention! If I have to go along with this then the least you could do is listen for when I tell you it's time to go!"

"Sorry Callie, what were you saying?" Oona asked as she turned her sister Calista who was the third eldest out of Oona and the rest of her siblings and in Oona's opinion the most beautiful mermaid in their father's kingdom. Calista had long and very beautiful not to mention bright red with these piercing violet eyes, which went well with her purple tail.

"I said that you won't have much time so whatever it is you need to do up there you had better make it quick because papa is going to notice! Although I don't really understand why you'd want to go up there when we have everything you could possible want down here." Calista stated as she ran her hands through her long hair. "You know how dad feels about us going up there, a mermaid's place is in the water and not on the land Oona!"

"You know why Callie. The way they live their lives compared to ours is fascinating and besides Snow is calling me. I have to check in on her, dad may have a problem with some of the humans but not all of them are how he thinks they are. Snow is a good person and she needs help. I'd think that dad would want to help considering we share a common enemy." Oona wearily replied, relations between merpeople and the other creatures from the upstairs world were strained and had been for a while. Ever since the Queen of Atlantica and Oona's mother had been murdered five years ago. War had almost broken out between the two lands but thankfully it didn't. Instead they just kept their distance and Oona's father king Triton had prohibited any merperson from going up the land.

"Don't be long." Calista warned as she gave her sister the signal to say that the waters were all clear.

Nodding her head Oona began swimming as fast as she could, the current was against her but it wasn't too much of a problem for her as merpeople were pretty awesome swimmers if she said so herself. It didn't take long for Oona to reach the surface but it was getting closer to land that was the problem, the increasing lack of water that she to swim with meant that she had to drag herself onto the shore. But it was all worth it when she saw her friend and fellow Princess, Snow White. "Hello Snow…"

"Hello old friend." Snow quipped, making a joke at the age difference between the two. Oona was older as mermaids had a very slow age growth and whilst she was over a hundred years old she still looked like a seventeen year old girl. Only naturally as merpeople had a life span of three hundred years. Compared to Snow White who was technically younger than her but physically older than her. But nevertheless Snow White was incredibly beautiful with her raven dark hair, skin white as snow and those red lips of her. Oona found her to be very beautiful for a human.

"How are you doing?" Oona asked as she sat up as best she could, it was hard trying to sit down without floating but that wasn't the most important thing at the moment, Snow was. Her Stepmother the Queen was ruling the kingdom despite the fact that Snow was the rightful heir and now Oona's friend was on the run whilst the Queen was trying to hunt her down.

"Oh you know running, hiding and hunting. The same old same old." Snow sarcastically said.

"You know I'd do anything to help you even bring you home with me if I wasn't afraid you'd drown." Oona admitted as she pushed her sea green hair out of her face, her friend had gone through so much and lost so many people and there was nothing she could do to help.

"King Triton still doesn't want to help?" Snow guess with a sigh before kicking a rock into the water.

Oona shook her head, her father was not a fan of non-merfolk especially since her mother's death despite the fact that he used to be friends with Snow White's father King George. "Despite the common enemy we share in your stepmother, my father will not interfere. He says they are matters for your kind and they do not concern the merpeople. The only time he'll get involved is if Regina poses a threat to us and so far she's kept her word about leaving us in peace, I'm sorry Snow…"

"Have you heard anything? Is there any news on what Regina is up to?" Snow questioned.

"The water speaks but there is no definite news or any new information except for that the Queen is still hunting you down. She's adamant about finding Snow, you need to be careful." Oona warned.

Snow laughed. "What about you Oona? I know for a fact that you're not supposed to be up here and yet here you are talking to me on dry land…"

"There's only so much water I can take. That's why I envy about you land walkers, your world is so different from mine and less constraints. Soon enough my father will find a worthy suitor for me and want me to have merbabies but that's not what I want Snow…" Oona wearily stated.

"And you think I want to be on the run Oona?" Snow sarcastically questioned.

"We're both prisoners of our own world… what I wouldn't give to swap places with you and to be able to walk with actual legs instead of with this." Oona stated wiggling her tail around. "Most merpeople tend to spend their entire lives exploring all the wonders of the sea–"

"Not all of them?" Snow asked.

Oona shook her head. "No it all depends on our hearts…"

"Your heart? What does your heart got anything to do with this?" Snow questioned in confusion. "Do mermaids even have hearts?"

"Yes we do. But our hearts as cold as the water we live in however, once a mermaid gets lonely, her heart will warm up and then she will become curious about the world ashore. I think that's why I don't want to stay underwater anymore Snow, I think my heart is warming up and I want more than a life under the sea…"


	2. Chapter 2

After Oona finished talking with Snow and dragged herself back from shore into the ocean, she swam back to her father's kingdom as covertly as possible as not to draw any suspicion to her disappearance as her father would release the wrath of Poseidon if he knew that Oona had been going up to the surface after he had forbidden her from doing so. And as much as Oona loved and respected her father, she chose to ignore him when it came to matters of the land walkers. As Oona got more closer to her home, she felt her tail being pulled before she was spun around repeatedly by her tail. When she had finally stopped spinning, the teenage mermaid crossed her arms and pouted miserably "Would you both quit that already, you know I don't like it when you pull my tail! And Papa has told you that to stop as it's not funny!"

"Just like Papa has told you that going up to the shore if off limits and yet you still do it!" Oona's eldest sisters Lorelei and Luna chimed together or as Oona liked to call them the twisted twins, as they loved teasing her to their hearts content. With the same white hair, blue eyes and navy tails, it was impossible to tell Lorelei and Luna apart especially since the two of them tended to speak simultaneously.

"So what were you doing up there little Oona?" Lorelei asked.

"I was talking to a friend, Snow White if you really must know sister."

"Don't lie to us Oona, was it a boy?" Lorelei and Luna questioned, snickering in amusement much to Oona's discomfort, for some reason it was hard for her sisters to be nice to her. But yet they, like the rest of their sisters never said a word to their father about Oona's little journeys to the shore.

"I've already told the two of you I went to see Snow White! You remember her, don't you? She's a princess like us, my friend not to mention really nice and funny but her stepmother wants her dead so now she's on the run in her own kingdom! Oona said with an exasperated sigh, her eldest sisters were so difficult to talk to which is why Oona always went to Nerissa, one of her other sisters for advice or if she ever just wanted to talk as Nerissa wasn't like Lorelei or Luna as she didn't beat around the bush she just got straight to the point.

"If you so say!" The twins teased.

"What do you two want?" Oona questioned, out of her five sister's Lorelei and Luna were by far the most mischievous out of her father's children. After the twins there was Callie who was one of the middle siblings and by far the most quite and obedient merchild, then there was Nerissa who her father called sassy at least five times a day. Then there was Evangeline who was deemed the sweet one and following her was Oona, known much to her irritation as the little princess because she was the youngest out of her father's six daughters.

"Us? We don't want anything… is it a crime for us to want to spend some time with our baby sister?" Luna giggled as she swam over to Oona and placed a shell in her sister's hair.

"No but that doesn't usually mean that there is a reason for you coming to find me." Oona admitted as she continued swimming and her sister followed behind her, which caused Oona to keep looking over her shoulders to make sure that her sisters would not pull another tail pulling stunt.

"So you went to see Snow White?" Lorelei questioned as she swam ahead of Oona and attempted to block her path.

"Yes Lorelei and I've already told you that so why are you asking me now all of a sudden?" Oona questioned with a shake of her head as she moved out of her sister's path and continued

"How is she?"

Oona was caught off guard by her sisters seemingly honest concern for her friend's well being. "How do you think Luna? Not only has she lost her father but those who served him not hunt her down like she's some kind of traitor when Snow has done nothing wrong. Imagine Papa's entire kingdom or the entire merpeople community hunting us down, being completely helpless with no one willing to help you."

"Well you could always get Evangeline to ask Papa–" Lorelei began.

"What about me?" A deep voice asked and Oona looked up to see her father King Triton only yards away from her, Lorelei and Luna but swimming towards them armed with his trident which went everywhere with him.

"We were just telling Oona that you were looking for her Papa." Luna and Lorelei chimed together with bright smiles plastered over their face whilst Oona was simply taken aback as her sisters did not mention that their father had been looking for her but Oona quickly composed herself as her father was not to know where she had been under any circumstances. King Trident was without a doubt the most powerful person in the entire underworld kingdom and sea and was a firm but fair king who did not tolerate being lied to and had a very bad temper, hence Oona and her sisters all lying about what she got to.

"You needed me papa?" Oona questioned giving her father a small smile and she watched as her father suspiciously eyed his three daughters but when his eyes settled on Oona they quickly softened. It was well known throughout the whole kingdom that out of all of King Triton's six daughters Oona was the one who resembled the late Queen the most. And because of that he was more lenient towards Oona especially since she was his youngest daughter,

King Trident didn't respond for a few moments until he shook his head and nodded slowly. "Yes I do, come with me Oona, we have much to talk about.

Oona looked back at her sisters who looked just as confused as she was, but whatever her father wanted with her Oona was pretty sure it wasn't good.


	3. Chapter 3

Following her father Oona was soon back into Atlantica and in the throne room if their underwater palace and she came to a stop as her father sat down on his shell throne. Oona's father King Triton was the most powerful not to mention respected man in the entire underwater kingdom armed with the Trident that belonged to his father before him King Poseidon and had been King of Atlantica for over five hundred years. And as Oona stood in front of her father she was unsure of what this conversation was about and she reached her mind trying to recall anything she had done recently which would merit this conversation with her father out of the blue.

"You wanted to speak to me papa?" Oona questioned with a small smile hoping that it would help soften he inevitable blow. King Triton smiled which unnerved Oona as she wasn't exactly sure that this meant in the slightest, she thought she was in trouble but her father never usually smiled when he was about to yell at her for what silly thing she had done. So now Oona was at a lost for this meant.

"I have wonderful news to share with you my dearest Oona, news that has filled me with joy and will no doubt make you extremely me happy." King Triton began. "This morning Zale came to me to ask for your hand in marriage and I have accepted!"

Oona felt as if her sisters had grabbed her by the ends of her tail spun her around a couple of dozen times and then let, she felt dizzy not to mention shocked to the core. Marriage, wow. That was not what she was expecting to hear for her father and especially for it to be about her. She didn't know why it was her being asked to get married given that she was the youngest as none of her other sisters were married yet. "How much?"

"Excuse me?" King Triton asked.

"How much did he offer?" Oona asked her voice rather shaky as still struggled to deal with this information. It was the law in Atlantica that any suitor who wanted to marry a daughter of the sea need only the permission of her father but for a daughter of the King not only did the suitor need to have permission of the King but was required to pay a bride price, usually for around twenty thousand clams although at times it did go for higher

"Thirty seven thousand clams." King Triton said with a bright smile on his face, it was obvious that he was pleased by the news.

"Oh…Wow, that's a lot of clams." Oona said with a small shake of her head. Biting her lip Oona willed herself not to cry, she knew the suitor Zale of course, he was a few years older than himself and seemed like a nice enough merman until you realized that he spent a prolonged time talking about himself and his hunting victories. Oona thought he was an idiot. But the problem was whether the marriage went ahead was at the discretion of the father regardless of what his daughter wanted. If her father wanted her to be married then she was getting married, that was just the way things went.

"I know and Zale is a very good merman, you should be very pleased Oona as you will be well taken off and very happy." King Triton joyfully said and the tears were starting to sting Oona's eyes.

Oona didn't want to get married, at least not yet anyway. Oona didn't want to be sold to the highest bigger, to a merman didn't care about her only about the fact that he was marrying one of King Triton's daughter. Oona wanted to fall in love, be hopelessly in love with a man who loved her back regardless of all her odd little traits. She wanted to have what her parents had before her mother had passed away, love and respect not to mention a family. And she knew she wouldn't get that with Zale. "Papa…"

"This had made me so happy, more than you'll ever know my dear… I can't believe that you my little Oona is to be the first of my six beautiful daughters to be married. If only your mother was still alive, I know it would have brought her as much joy as it has brought me…" King Triton continued and hearing her father talk about her mother only made Oona want to cry even more. "And your sisters of course will be delighted as well as the whole kingdom, these has not be a royal wedding since… Well my wedding to your mother and that was over four hundred years ago. Two months should be enough time…"

"Two months?" Oona cried out in shock, she was still trying to digest the news that she was to be married but to get married in two months was far too soon.

"Yes your right, that is not soon enough! The wedding will be in a month and then we will have a month of celebrating afterwards!" King Triton announced.

"But Papa… I-I…" Oona feebly began.

"Yes Oona?" King Triton questioned.

Oona looked at her father, whose entire face was lit up and was grinning a radiating smile. She had never seen her father so happy since her mother had died and as she looked at him Oona could not bring herself to tell him that she didn't want to get married because she did not love Zale. It wasn't that she feared the tumultuous wrath of her father, the King of the sea because she did. Her father's anger was feared on both land and sea but rather it was because she didn't want to make him sad when he seemed so happy for the first time that Oona honestly remembered. "Nothing, it's nothing Papa…"

As much as she didn't want to get married, she would do it only to make her father happy and Oona resigned herself to the fact that she was getting married in a month and there was nothing that she could about it.


	4. Chapter 4

After her father's earth shattering announcement about her upcoming nuptials, Oona felt the need to escape so she could get her head together before she could face anyone. Oona literally felt like she couldn't breath so for the second time that day she swam back up the surface in order to literally catch her breath. The news that she was getting married had stunned and it was a lot to handle but her father moving the wedding up to next month really stunned her. As she reached the surface Oona clung onto a rock and let out a sigh as she watched the land that she would never know, never would she be able to walk on the green grass or through the enchanted forest or even just walk. She was forever to be a mermaid who dreamed of being able to walk on the mainland.

"You know I can help you…" A high pitched sound said and Oona looked to find man with matted hair and grey skin that almost looked like scales sitting on the rock with long grimy fingernails. Oona let go off the rock and slowly sunk back into the water. "Calm down dearie, I won't hurt you…"

Oona stayed where she was with her head half submerged in the water, she wasn't sure who this man was or how he had gotten here. "Who are you?"

"Me? You can call me Rumplestiltskin."

"Your Rumplestiltskin?" Oona said in a hoarse whisper, she had heard of the man who possessed great powers through the waters and from her friends who walked on the land like Snow but never had she met or seen the man herself, until now. He was as terrifying as legend made him out to be.

"So you've heard of me?" Rumplestiltskin quipped.

"In a manner of speaking." Oona wearily replied.

"That's good because I know exactly who you are dearie; the little mermaid Princess Oona, youngest daughter of King Triton of Atlantica and soon to be married from what I hear."

"How do you know that?" Oona demanded as she lifted her head out of the water, the news of her wedding couldn't have gotten out that fast already yet somehow Rumplestiltskin already knew of it. The fact that he knew made Oona fear that the whole kingdom would soon know of the news and that made her return unbearable to think about.

"It doesn't matter, all that matters is that I know that you don't want to marry that little merman whose asked your father for your fin in marriage… You see what I did there? Fin instead of hand in marriage!" Rumplestiltskin jested and Oona just rolled her eyes in annoyance, the one thing she detested more than her sisters pulling her tail was land walkers making jokes about merpeoples tails.

"I-I… don't understand, how do you know about me? And my wedding and how I don't w-want to go through with it." Oona said swallowing a huge lump in her throat, as it was the first time she had said aloud that she had no desire to get married.

"If I were you dearie those wouldn't be the questions that I would be asking."

"And what questions should I be asking? And even if I did ask different ones would you even answer them or evade them like you have done my previous ones?" Oona questioned.

"Clever girl, your daddy must be so proud of his little princess but the questions that you really need to be asking is not how I know all about you but rather what can I do to help you and your _little_ predicament." Rumplestiltskin said before leaning in closer to Oona.

"My predicament?"

"Predicament, dilemma… whatever you want to call it, I know as no offense dearie, it's not exactly original. Mermaid tires of swimming the ocean depths and wants to explore the land above the sea and I can make it possible for you to walk on land, I can make it possible for you to walk without those fins of yours, I can give you legs, just say the word and I can do it." Rumplestiltskin replied with a small click of his fingers.

"Y-You could give me legs?" Oona stammered in shock.

"That and so much more."

Oona wasn't sure about this, it sounded a bit too good to be true not to mention Rumplestiltskin would surely want something for all of this and not be doing this out of the kindness of his heart. Oona may be a cold blooded creature whose heart was as cold as the sea but she knew something didn't seem right. "Why would you do that for me? A simple mermaid, surely you must want something…"

"Ahh yes about that, now of I were to help you I would need something from you in return." Rumplestiltskin stated and Oona didn't like the tone of his voice, there was something sinister in it.

"I won't lead you to my father or my kingdom." Oona wearily stated as she feared that that the location of her kingdom or her father and his trident was what Rumplestiltskin wanted from her but she was surprised when he let out a high pitch boisterous laugh.

"As powerful as your father may be Little Princess, it's not him I want nor do I want your kingdom. I want something else, something else of greater value to me than a trident and an underwater kingdom." Rumplestiltskin smugly stated.

"Then what do you want?" Oona questioned as she had no idea what was of greater value than her father's trident, surely it wasn't pearls or coral.

"Your voice."

"My voice?" Oona squeaked in response, as that was not what she was expecting to hear. "Why do you want that? Surely there must be something else you want other than my voice."

"Not that it's any of your concern but rumour has it that you, King Triton's youngest daughter has the loveliest voice in all the kingdoms above and below the sea, so what do you say princess?"

"I-I don't know…" Oona stammered as going up to the surface and being able to walk on land was something that she had always wanted, always dreamed of doing but never at the expense of her voice "I need to think about it…"

"Hmm.. I'll allow you that but don't waste too much time dearie as time is ticking as I'm sure your aware little princess…" Rumplestiltskin warned making reference to Oona's upcoming wedding before disappearing in a cloud of smoke leaving Oona alone to wonder what had just happened.


End file.
